Sophie Klisman
Sophie Teich Klisman was born in Lodz, Poland in 1929. After the Nazis invaded Poland, Sophie and her family were sent to live in the ghetto, where her parents and one of her siblings fell sick and died. When the Lodz ghetto was liquidated in 1944, Sophie and her surviving siblings were deported in boxcars to Auschwitz. Sophie survived selection in the camp by lying about her age. Sophie and her sister were sent to Bergen-Belsen, then to the Salzwedel concentration camp, where they were forced to work in an ammunition factory. Sophie and her sister were liberated by American troops in April 1945. They lived in Displaced Persons Camps until they were able to travel to the United States in 1949.
“Nobody, nobody should have to live through such terrors, such horrible conditions at such a young age, or at any age. It was a horrible experience, but I’m glad that I finally was able to tell it.”
More Survivor Stories
Irene Miller
Irene Miller was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1932. When Germany invaded Poland, Irene’s family tried to flee to the Soviet Union and was stranded for several weeks in “no…
Edward Malinowski
Edward Malinowski (Mersyk) was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1939. His family lived on a street that became part of the Warsaw ghetto. When Edward was 4 years old, he…
Survivor Talk Sundays
Join us on Sundays at 12pm to hear first-hand accounts from Holocaust survivors that now live in Michigan.
Survivor Talk Sundays: Henry Wormser
Every survivor’s story is unique and provides a special, first-hand account of life before, during, and after the Holocaust. Hearing from local Michigan survivors helps us see all the victims…
Special Sunday Talk: Ken Posner, Son-In-Law of a Survivor
The HC proudly hosts a Next Generation Speaker program, inviting descendants of Holocaust survivors to tell the personal stories of their families during the Holocaust. This speaker program also shines…
“My Underground Mother” Film Screening with Filmmaker Marisa Fox
“You think you know your mother until you don’t,” says filmmaker Marisa Fox. Tamar was a New York doctor’s wife who claimed she fled her native Poland on the cusp…
Summer Academy for Michigan Holocaust Educators
We invite all Michigan educators to join us at The Zekelman Holocaust Center for Summer Academy on July 27, 28, 29, and 30. Whether you are new to teaching the Holocaust…
Summer Academy for Michigan Holocaust Educators
We invite all Michigan educators to join us at The Zekelman Holocaust Center for Summer Academy on July 27, 28, 29, and 30. Whether you are new to teaching the Holocaust…
Summer Academy for Michigan Holocaust Educators
We invite all Michigan educators to join us at The Zekelman Holocaust Center for Summer Academy on July 27, 28, 29, and 30. Whether you are new to teaching the Holocaust…
Summer Academy for Michigan Holocaust Educators
We invite all Michigan educators to join us at The Zekelman Holocaust Center for Summer Academy on July 27, 28, 29, and 30. Whether you are new to teaching the Holocaust…
Educator Workshop: Next Generation Speaker Talk With Barry Auster
Hear Next Generation Speaker Barry Auster share stories about his mother, who was also a speaker at The HC until she passed away at the age of 92. The Next…
